This page describes an 8-mile loop beginning and
ending in Newton Centre. It covers both aqueducts,
and makes the connection between them by walking on the trail and road shoulder along Quinobequin Road.

The entire route can be walked (or mostly bicycled) in
either direction. A detailed description of the counter-clockwise direction starts below.

Many shorter variations are also possible, taking advantage of the fact that the D-Riverside branch of the MBTA Green Line crosses
or is close to both aqueducts at the Newton Centre, Eliot, and Waban
stations.

Cross a small stream, and stay on the paved path, with the playground on your right.

Walk to the left of the little league field and then turn onto the soccer fields.

On the other side of the soccer field,
walk up an embankment to the aqueduct.

Turn left onto the
aqueduct, and enter the woods. Walk past an old pumping station.

The woods end as the trail reaches Pleasant Street. The aqueduct crosses the street here, but the route is impassible on the other side. So, a detour is needed.

Walk left on the Pleasat Street sidewalk to Bracebridge Road. Turn right.

Walk along the road next to the fence bordering 15 Bracebridge Road.

Note the sign at the edge of the property. Don't go through this gap in the fence, but continue along the sidewalk, to the newly created path that crosses the land protected by a conservation easement donated to the Conservators by the Wilson Family.

Enter the new trail here.

Note to bicyclists and dog walkers:

The route described below goes on an easement across private property. You must stay on the path and walk your bike. Dog walkers must keep their dogs on leash.

The trail is named the Andree D. Wilson Treeway, in memory of Mrs. Wilson, a noted conservationist. Andree and Richard Wilson donated the Wilson Conservation Area to the City of Newton in the 1990s, and donated the conservation restriction on most of their remaining property in 2012.

At the top, take a sharp right on an earthen "bridge" across the trench. (Another trail continues straight ahead at this point.)

Take a sharp left, and walk down a steep slope to the aqueduct.

Cross Beethoven Avenue.

Cross Allen Avenue.

Cross Upland Road.

Cross Homestead Street.

The aqueduct approaches busy Chestnut Street.

Cross Chestnut and enter a small pathway, marked by stepping stones just to the left of a driveway.

Follow the stepping stones.

Keep to the right edge of the lawn until reaching the trail.

Continue, crossing busy Woodward Street, through a gap in a white fence.

When you reach the
Waban MBTA station parking lot, a detour is needed.

If you need a detour for a rest room or refreshments, a Starbucks is around the corner to you right.

Cross to the far corner
of the parking lot, then walk up the steps to Beacon Street.

Turn left on the sidewalk, and walk on the bridge over the MBTA tracks.

Cross the first part of Collins Road.

Cross the second part of Collins Road. Turn left onto the sidewalk of Collins Road, then immediately
bear right onto Waban Avenue.

After a block, the
aqueduct resumes in a woodsy strip between the two roadways of Waban
Avenue.

A shortcut is possible here. It bypasses almost a mile of not particularly scenic territory. When you reach Carlton Road, turn left and walk downhill to Quinobequin
Road. Cross to the far side of the road, turn left, and proceed as described below.

Cross Crofton Road, staying on the path through the wooded area.

The trail climbs slightly to Carlton Road.

Cross Carlton Road.

Bear left to stay in the woods as the trail approaches Waban Avenue on the right.

After a moment, the trail approaches the left-hand segment of Waban Avenue. Bear right.

Cross to the woodsy island.

A bench awaits you.

Continue across Alban Road.

Continue until the
woodsy Waban Avenue median ends at Varick Road. As it crosses Varick
Road, the aqueduct takes a left turn onto a grassy area to the right
of a long hedgerow.

Walk past an old structure that was used to pump water in the aqueduct to the top of Varick Hill. You're now passing the small Varick Hill Conservation Area.

Walk down the steep hill to East Quinobequin
Road, where there is an MWRA building. Turn left, and left again
onto Quinobequin Road. You leave the Cochituate Aqueduct here.

Walk parallel to Quinobequin
Road for about 1.5 miles. Although there is parkland on the right side for the entire
way, there is a path for only part of the distance. At times, you'll need to walk along the shoulder of Quinobequin Road. While walking on the shoulder, be extremely careful with the traffic.
The path is fairly rough, and crosses some wet spots as it goes along the river edge.

Please notes that parts of the trail may be impassable in summer due to poison ivy.

As you near the MBTA
tracks, another detour is needed. Turn right down a well-worn path
that crosses the aqueduct.

Turn left on Cragmore Road, which immediately becomes Canterbury Road.

Follow Canterbury until it reaches Meredith Avenue. Turn left and enter the Eliot MBTA station.

A 2-mile segment of this walk begins here and ends in Newton Centre.

If you've had enough walking, you can hop on an inbound train and return to Newton Centre, where the long walk began. Trains run at least every 10 minutes.

Cross the tracks and
the station parking lot.

Turn left onto Harrison Street.

For refreshments, don't turn left on Harrison. Instead, walk straight ahead on Lincoln Street a half mile to Newton Highlands. To pick up the route, follow this detour onto Walnut Street, and rejoin the walk here.

At the end of Harrison, turn right and rejoin the aqueduct.

Cross Dickerman Road.

Cross Woodward Street.

The earthen berm through which the aqueduct passes is clearly visible.

Turn left onto Mountfort Road...

...and then immediately turn right onto Wood End Road. The aqueduct is on your right.

Turn left onto Bowdoin Street...

...and then right onto Hillside Road.

In just a few feet, bear left onto the aqueduct.

Continue across Duncklee Street.

When the aqueduct reaches Kingman Road, it appears to continue on the other side. But it quickly dead-ends in a private back yard. So, another detour is needed. Turn right on Kingman.

Cross busy Walnut Street
and turn left on the sidewalk.

Turn right onto the aqueduct just after passing a row of pine trees.

Follow the aqueduct to Beacon Street. (Refreshments and rest rooms are available at the Whole Foods Market just a few feet to the left.) The
aqueduct continues on the other side of Beacon Street.

The strip of land you're walking on includes both aqueducts. When you get to the next street, Greenlawn Avenue, the aqueducts divide. Turn left on Greenlawn.

Walk a few steps and turn right to enter the woods. Follow the path on top of the aqueduct.

You'll soon come to a fork in the trail, and a sign for the Andree D. Wilson Treeway.

Turn right, and walk down a small hill.

At the next fork, bear left. Ahead of you and to the right is the Wilson Conservation Area, donated to the City of Newton by Andree and Richard Wilson in the 1990s.

The Andree D. Wilson Treeway is on land protected from development by a conservation restriction donated to the Newton Conservators by the Wilsons in 2012. Andree Wilson was a noted conservationist, who died in 2016.

The path is on privately owned land. Bicyclists must walk their bikes. Dog walkers must leash their dogs.

Follow the trail up a hill.

Turn left onto Bracebridge Road.

You'll soon come to the house, known as Mount Pleasant, where Andree and Richard Wilson lived for many years. The house is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Continue on Bracebridge to Pleasant Street.

Cross Pleasant Street.

Walk between Mason Rice School and its parking lot.

Follow the paved path into the Newton Centre Playground, and bear left to cross a small stream.

Bear right on the path towards the park playground.

Bear right towards the tennis courts, and continue to the corner of Centre Street and Tyler Terrace, where the walk began.